Plural switch coin-control and circuit therefor



Feb. 10, 1953 5, MAY 2,627,962

PLURAL SWITCH COIN-CONTROL AND CIRCUIT THEREFOR Filed July 19, 1945 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 orrzeg 8. MAY

Feb. 10, 1953 PLURAL SWITCH COIN-CONTROL AND CIRCUIT THEREFOR 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed July 19, 1945 H QQQNPH R H Patented Feb. 10, 1953 PLURAL SWITCH COIN-CONTROL AND CIRCUIT THEREFOR S am May, Chicago, Ill., assignor of one-half to 7 Raymond T. Moloney, Chicago, 111.

Application July 19, 1945, Serial No. 605,966

This invention pertains to a coin control device for use in conjunction with various types of coin-operated or controlled machines, such as vending and amusement machines, the principal object being the provision of a control device especially suited for use with the so- .called gravity type of coin testing chute, but

otherwise of general application, and operating to receive an acceptable coin from such a chute and actuate certain control switches or the like in a manner which prevents defrauding the coincontrolled machine by certain expediences, such as the use of captive coins, and the like.

Viewed from another aspect, it is an object of the invention to provide a coin-control device which is compact, simple, and rugged, and which is ofsubstantially fiat shape analogous to the shape of a commonly used form of coin chute, and which is readily attached to such a chute as an auxiliary means for preventing certain types of fraud to which such chutes are vulnerable apart from their function in testing coins and rejecting spurious coin elements.

. Further objects are the provision of a device of the class described and cooperating circuit control means which makes possible the elimination of numbers of control relays and associated wiring heretofore required in such machines; the provision of a small control unit in the nature of a coin chute, which, by reason of its size, shape,

and arrangement of parts is peculiarly adapted to attachment to conventional coin testing chutes of the gravitypr drop type; the provision of a control unit including an oscillatory coinmoving lever adapted to dispose a coin in a first position in which it may function for certain control purposes, and movable to shift the coin to a second position in which the coin may function for additional control purposes; the provision of combination control and coin-holding means of the construction and operation of the illustrative embodiment described hereinafter in view of the annexed drawings in which:

7 Claims. (Cl. 194-10) Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the novel control device in association with a conventional coin chute;

Fig. 2 is another side elevation; oppositely viewed from that of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the control device with the cover plate removed and parts shown in section; f

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the coin-moving lever in a diiferlentcondition of operation; 7

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section along. lines 5,-5 of Fig. 3 and showing an operating solenoidfor the coin-moving lever; and r Fig. 6 is a circuit diagram. g

In the upper part of Fig. 1 is shown a conventional type of coin-testing chute Ill into which coins are deposited as at II, such coins gravitating downwardly in this chute past various testing instrumentalities well known in the art and functioning to cause. delivery of an acceptable coin to an. exit passage from which the coin would ordinarily drop into a collecting receptacle.

The novel coin-control means is also/in the general form of a chute 12, which is attached to the testing chute H] by means of a bracket l3, as in Figs. 1 and 2, secured bybolt and nut 'or entrance end of. this passage is positioned, to

be in registerwith the exit passage from the testing chute (not shown) so that an acceptable coin. C1, as in Fig. 3, will gravitate from the testing chute into the passage 2| of the control chute.

Means for arresting a received coin at a first position in the control unit includes, as in Fig. 3, a lever 25 pivoted as at 26 in the coin passage interiorly of the control chute, this lever having an arcuate upper edge portion 2'! normally in alignment wth the coin passage 2| and onto which the received coin C1 drops to occupy the position of coin C2, lever'25 having an extended portion 28 flanking the coin-receiving edge'z'l and adapted to engage the coin C2 and move it from first to second position (occupied by a coin 03 for example), when the coin moving means or lever 25 is pivoted to the advanced position shown in Fig. 4.

Control means operated by a coin at first position includes (Fig. 2) a switch 30 mounted on the rear outside face of the control chute and having normally open switch blades 3|, 32, with an offset projection 33 from blade 32 extending through an opening 34 in plate l5 into the coin passage so as to be engaged by a coin at the first station, i. e. coin C2, and thereby cause switch blade 32 to be flexed into clo ed circuit engagement with its companion blade 3! for control purposes hereinafter de cribed. This control operation of the coin at the first position or station is also illustrated in Fig. 5.

When a coin is moved by advance of lever 25 into the second position or station, as in Fig. 4, it will be seen that the extended part 28 of the lever will prevent any retraction of the coin, as by a wire or thread attached thereto, so long as the lever 25 remains in advanced condition.

Means for preventin retrograde movement of the advanced coin C3 from second position includes an extension 40, Figs. 1, 3 and 4, projecting through an opening 41, Fig. l, in plate or wall member I6 into the coin passage, and having an ofiset end portion bifurcated or forked to provide coin-engaging portions 42 which bear frictionally down upon the upper edge of any coin C3 moved to second position by reason of the fact that the extension 40 is carried on the end of a spring blade 43, Fig. l, biased with this object in view. The edge part 44 of the forked coin-engaging means 42 is slanted so that a coin moving from first position toward second position will tend to cam the holding means 4042 upwardly until the coin can be forced under the forked portions 42 as in Fig. 4, whereby retrograde movement of the advanced coin is prevented when the lever 25 is restored to normal position.

Additional coin-holding means includes a notched or forked formation 45, Figs. 3 and 4, in the arcuate edge portion 2'! of lever 25, so disposed as to underly the advanced coin when lever 25 is in normal position, as in Fig. 3. Thus, an advanced coin in second position, for example th coin C3, is prevented from moving back toward first position and the first control switch means by the formations 42-25.

However, a coin in second position, for example the coin C3 will be ejected from second position by a subsequent advance of the lever means 25 from normal position owing to the disposition of the rearward part 45a of the forked holding formation 45 on lever 25 and the tendency of this part 45a to force the coin from beneath of parts 42 and the fact that the remaining portion 45b of the forked portion 45 tends to drop away from beneath the coin by angular displacement as lever 25 pivots. As a result, a coin ejected from second position will gravitate into an exit passage 22 formed by a small plate element 2t and the lower projection Ha of spacer plate H, as illustrated by the coin C4 in Fig. 4.

Control means actuated by a coin in second position includes a device such as the switch 50, Fig. 1, having a contact blade 51 engaged by the coin-holding part 45, when the latter is elevated or moved by a coin in second position, so as to close against a companion contact blade 52 for control purposes hereinafter described.

The coin-moving lever means 25 is disposed in its normal position of Fig. 3 by spring means 55 having one end 55 anchored to an eccentric part of an extension 25a on lever 25, Fig. l, and having its other end 51 anchored to the nut and bolt means 14, the part 25a of the lever passing out the bottom of the control chute and being bent around U-fashion for engagement with actuating means such as the plunger 60 of an electro magnetic solenoid 6|, Figs. 1 and 5, pin means 62 pivotally linking the plunger and actuating extension 25a, such that when the solenoid coil BI is energized, plunger Bil will be attracted to draw the actuating extension 25a toward the right, whereby to advance lever 25 from the normal position of Fig. 3, to the advanced position of Fig. 4, lever 25 being quickly restored to normal position by spring 55 as soon as coil (ii is deenergized.

It is pointed out that a portion of the surface of projection 28 on lever 25 is relieved, as at 28c, Fig. 5, to clear the control switch means 33 during advance of lever 25.

In Fig. 6 is shown the preferred control means employed for a vending machine adapted to be operated by coins of several denominations, i. e. five-, ten-, and twenty-five cent coins. A cointesting chute [0c and cooperating coin-control unit lZa are provided for five-cent coins or nickels; while similar units Hlb-l2b and l0c-- 120, respectively, are provided for dimes and quarters, and excepting for the denomination of coin handled in each instance, these testing and control chutes correspond to chutes Ill and [2 in construction and operation.

Assuming that a five-cent coin is deposited in the first unit, it will lodge in first position to close a switch 70-? I, which corresponds to the switch 30 of Fig. 2; contact ll] is grounded at GT. and this operating ground is connected via contact H and conductor 72 to one terminal of a leverrelease solenoid or coil '13 having its remaining terminal connected to power source or battery M grounded at Gr, so that this coil is energized, thereby attracting its armature 15 from locking position before projection 26 on manual actuating lever ll, so that the latter may be moved (clockwise) against its normal spring 18 by the customer, thereby causing switch-operating projection E9 on lever H to close switch contacts -8l and 8283, comprising part of the actuating switch.

Closure of contacts 82-83 as aforesaid results in connection of ground Gr at the actuating switch means, via conductor 84 to one terminal of each of three coin-shiftin coils 85a, 85b, 850 (corresponding to coil 51 of Fig. 5) for the nickel, dime, and quarter units, and each of these three coils will be energized from power or battery sources 86a, 86b, 850, respectively.

Since there is a five-cent coin resting at first position in the first unit, this coin will be shifted by the coin-shifting lever in coin control unit 12:; (corresponding to lever 25 of Figs. 3 and 4) to cause such coin to be advanced to second position (not illustrated in Fig. 6, but see Fig. 4), thereby closing the second-position switch 8lc- 88a and connecting ground Gr via conductor 89 to motor switch contact 90, which is normally opened from its companion contact 9| by reason of having its rider projection 90a riding on the periphery of the five-cent control disc 93.

Disc 93 is rotated by shaft 95, driven through speed reducer 95 by motor 91 connected to power source 98 grounded at Gr, with its other terminal connected to cycling switch contact H10 normally closed with its companion contact II]! by reason of the formers riding projection [09c resting in the deepest part of notch I02 of the cycling disc H13 on shaft 95, so that the motor 91 is given a momentary energization, because contact IBI is now connected via conductor I04 to actuating switch contact 80, which is at this time closed with its grounded contact 8|, since the actuating lever 11 is now operated. However, as soon as cycling disc I03 moves slightly to cause riding projection Ififla to ride onto a higher portion of notch I02, contacts IIiIlIOI open, stopping the motor but meanwhile causing contact I toengage with contact I05, which connects via conductor N36 to contact IIll of the actuating switch.

Up to the present in this description, actuating lever I! has been held in advanced or operated condition, causing its switch-operating projection I9 to be held away from projection I08a on contact I08, as a result of which contacts I01Ili8' are'biased open so long as lever TI is held down by the customer.

In order to effect delivery of the merchandise, lever 11 must be restored to normal position (counterclockwise), either by action of its spring 18 if the handle is released, or by cooperation of the customer in so restoring it. Such restoration of lever II will result in closure of contacts HIT-I08, thereby connecting ground from Gr through said contacts and conductor I06, contacts IOU-405 closed, to motor 91, so that the latter will again run for the duration of one revolution of shaft 95 and disc I03, until notch I62 comes around again to permit rider projection I 09a to drop into the deep part of notch I92, thereby opening contacts IIlII-I U and stopping the motor (with starting contacts IIlB-IOI again closed preparatory to the next cycling operation).

Meanwhile, it should be observed that coil I3 of the lever locking means has been de-energized by removal of the coin from first position, opening switch 'I!l'II, and locking projection IS on the lever will again be locked behind plunger l5, unless there should be another coin ready to drop into first position from chute Ida as soon as the first-mentioned coin is shifted as aforesaid, in which case the actuating lever 11 would merely be unlocked by the consequent and further energization of locking coil I3 upon movement of the second coin into first position as soon as the first coin leaves.

Up to this point in the cycle of operation, motor 91 will run for the duration of one revolution of shaft 95, causing disc 93 tomake one corresponding revolution, thereby causing notch 94 to pass once beneath projection Sila, so that dispensing switch contacts 9Il9l will be closed once, thereby energizing a dispensing means or coil Ilil via conductor III from power source II2 grounded at Gr, which will cause an ejecting slide H3 to be advanced and returned by spring I II to push an article of merchandise I III from a stack H5 in housing H6, slide H3 being restored by said spring III as soon as the actuating coil III] is de-energized by opening of contacts Sill-9i responsive to movement of disc 93.

In the case where a dime is deposited, instead of a nickel, the operation is the same as just described, excepting of course that switch contacts Itoill) will be closed at first position in control unit I2b, lever 11 being operated as in the case of a nickel, which results in the dime being shifted to second position to close contacts 8'Ib88b, thereby connecting ground from Gr via conductor I2Il to dispensin contact 901), which will be closed twice with its companion contact 9Ib during the revolution of disc IZI and its two notches I22-I23, thus impulsing dispensing coil or means I I 019 twice via conductor. I 24 from power source I25, and causing two articles to be ejected from stack I I 5b.

In the case where a quarter is deposited chute IIlc, the operation is substantially thesame as heretofore described, the difference being in the fact that contacts 'Illc-IIc will be closed in first position of the quarter in control unit Me to release or unlock thelever TI via conductor 12;, and contacts 8'lc88c will be closed by the quarter in second position, thereby connecting. operating ground from Gr via conductor I30 to motor switch contact 900, which will close five times with its companion contact 9Ic during one revolution of disc I3I and its five notches I32, which will cause dispensing coil Illlc to be impulsed five times via conductor I33 from power source or connection I34, resulting in the ejec-' tion of five articles of merchandise from stack. H50 in the manner heretofore particularly described in the case of the nickel unit.

Various modifications of the foregoing arrangement will occur to those skilled in the art, such as the use of a single testing chute II] of the type adapted to handle nickels, dimes, and quarters; or the ejection of a single article, instead of one, two, or five articles, from the stacks I I5, 511, I Ii'ac, by havin only one notch in the corresponding control discs 93, I2I, and ISI, in cases where only one article is to be dispensed for values 'of five, ten, and twenty-five cents. All such changes and modifications are contemplated within the scope of the appended claims,

I claim: I I

1. Coin control apparatus adapted to control electrically actuated dispensing means, and comprising: electrically actuated switch means and normally incomplete circuits therefor for-actuating said dispensing means, electrically controlled main operating means for actuating said electrically actuated switch means, and a coin control adapted to receive a coin in a, first position, coin switch means actuated by a coin in said first position and conditioning said main operating means for operation, electrically operated means for transporting said coin from first to second position responsive to operation of said main operatin mean-s, a second coin switch means actuated by a coin at second position to complete said dispensing switch circuits for operation by said electrically operated dispensing switch means, and means co-operable with said transporting means for preventing movement of a coin back toward first position from said second position. 7

2. Coin control mechanism comprising a coin chute having a coin entrance and exit, a lever oscillatable across the chute and normally disposed to receive a coin from said entrance, coin holding means adjacent said leverand coop-erable with the latter, responsive to advance of the lever from said normal position, to hold a coin against movement toward said exit or back toward said entrance, a switch disposed for operation by a coin engaging said lever in-said normal position, a second switch actuated by said holding means when a coin is held thereby, and means for oscillating said lever.

3. A coin control device including a chute having a vertical coin receiving passage and a vertical coin discharge passage offset horizontally from said receiving passage, a} coin lever oscillatable from a normal position at the bottom of said receiving passage to advanced position toward said discharge passage, means on said lever for displacing a coin received thereon toward said dischargepassage when the lever is advanced, coin holding means adjacent the advanced position of said lever and said discharge passage and coopcrating with said lever to hold a coin advanced thereby against movement into said discharge passage, means for oscillating said lever from normal to advanced position and back, and control switch means actuated by a coin in said chute in said advanced position thereof, said coin holding means cooperating with the lever for holding a coin and preventing retrograde movement of the coin from said advanced position, said lever having means acting upon a coin held in advanced position to dislodge said coin for movement into said discharge passage when said lever is moved toward advanced position from normal position.

4. Coin control means comprising an oscillatable member, means for oscillating said member from a normal to an advanced position in a, vertical plane, chute means gravitatingly guiding a coin into received position upon said oscillatable member in said normal position, means on said oscillatable member for carrying said received coin therewith upon movement to advanced position, yieldable coin engaging and holding means at said advanced position holding coin thereat upon advance thereto and further holding said advanced coin upon return of said oscillatable member to normal position, means on said oscillatable member engaging an advanced, held, coin, when said oscillatable member is in normal position, and cooperating with said holding means, to prevent retraction of an advanced, held coin,

and further acting upon said advanced, held, coin to dislodge and release said coin responsive to movement of the oscillatable member in a direction from normal toward advanced position, and switch means actuated by said holding means when a coin is held thereby as aforesaid.

5. Control switch means for actuating one or a plurality of dispensers and comprising: a plurality of dispenser actuating switches having a common motor for operating the same simultaneously, a coin-control unit for each dispenser switch; each said unit having at least two coin stations and each station having a coin-operated switch thereat, means for guiding deposited coins into the first station for each said unit, electrically actuated transporting means operated by a coin switch at the first station for moving said coin to the second station to operate the coin switch thereat, and establish an operating circuit for the corresponding dispenser switch, a master switch common to all said units, electromagnetic release means for said master switch and connected in a common circuit with all of the firststation coin switches for actuation by a coin at first station in any said unit, circuit connections controlled by operation of said master switch for actuating said transporting means, and circuit means controlled by said master switch for energizing said common motor to actuate said dispenser switches.

6. A coin-control unit comprising a chute body having av vertical chute passage, a transport lever pivoted beneath said passage to oscillatetransversely of the latter, said lever having an arcuate upper edge disposed below said passage when the lever is in a normal position to receive a coin of certain diameter thereon at a first station, a first switch on said unit and operated by a coin at said first station, a second switch at a second station situated laterally of the passage opposite said first station, yieldable coin-holding means at said second station and spaced upwardly of said arcuate edge on the lever, a coin-holding seat in said arcuate edge opposite said holding means when the lever is in normal position, mechanism for oscillating said lever, the latter having a coin-engaging formation displaced therewith to engage and transport a coin from the first station to the second station on movement of the lever from normal position, said coin being engaged and held by said holding means if the coin is at least of said predetermined diameter, on return of the lever to normal position, said coin-holding means and seat cooperating to prevent retraction of said coin from the second station, and said second switch means coacting with said holding means for actuation by coin-effected movements of the latter.

7. In a coin-control unit, an oscillatory coin carrier movable back and forth from a normal coin-receiving to an advanced coin-holding position, means for moving the carrier back and forth, means at said advanced position engaging a coin moved thereto to hold the advanced coin against retractive movement toward said normal position, switch means operated by a coin at said normal receiving position, and switch mean actuated by said coin-holding means dependently upon holding engagement thereof with a coin.

SAM MAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 863,046 Schattner Aug. 13, 1907 922,045 Roland May 18, 1909 1,564,383 Varcoe Dec. 8, 1925 1,757,801 Higgins, Jr May 6, 1930 1,773,130 Denniston Aug. 19, 1930 1,786,014 Hochriem Dec. 23, 1930 1,920,625 Bottome Aug. 1, 1933 1,931,693 Green Oct. 24, 1933 2,097,456 Green Nov. 2, 1937 2,276,449 Andres Mar. 17, 1942 2,325,536 Osborne July 27, 1943 2,354,896 Weiler Aug. 1, 1944 2,377,413 Fry June 5, 1945 2,393,004 Solinski Jan. 15, 1946 

